reasons to be less comfortable about AOL

dryoldlime · 12 Jan 2025, 01:08 PM

AOL for email is good. Even so, I am finding something I do not like about it.

You want to use it with an email client program? Need to create an "app specific" password. Your own AOL email password is not good enough.

You want to transfer or forward all of your messages to a different email account? No import/export. You must forward each message individually.

I tried looking and asking help on this through AOL's chat system, and those said above seem to be how things is.

Bamb0 · 12 Jan 2025, 01:26 PM

I had an AIM account that all of a sudden for some reason was deleted years ago...

My AIM account still worked but my email address was gone,I dunno why as I used it all the tme!!

chrisretusn · 12 Jan 2025, 04:38 PM

I have an account with AOL, it's an old one. started out as Netscape, then AIM, now AOL. All three domains netscape.net, aim.com and of course aol.com still work. I currently use aim.com.

Yes a while back I had to create an Application Password. Not that much of a hassle.

**CyberSmurf** · 12 Jan 2025, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamb0

I had an AIM account that all of a sudden for some reason was deleted years ago...

My AIM account still worked but my email address was gone,I dunno why as I used it all the tme!!

I'm a little confused when you say your AIM account still worked, but your email address was gone.

When you say your "AIM account", are you talking about AOL Instant Messenger, or are you talking about the @AIM.com domain alias for an AOL email account?

When I log into AOL webmail I still have the option to send from either @aol.com or @aim.com . My @netscape.net alias stopped working a long time ago; test email sent to my old @netscape.net alias bounces.

Bamb0 · 13 Jan 2025, 01:30 PM

Ya I was referring to Insteant Messenger . I had a AIM email acct and instant messenger acct and one day when I tried to login to my aim.com account it was gone....

RFK · 15 Jan 2025, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryoldlime

You want to use it with an email client program? Need to create an "app specific" password. Your own AOL email password is not good enough.

This is a modern standard. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Apple are doing the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryoldlime

You want to transfer or forward all of your messages to a different email account? No import/export. You must forward each message individually.

Easy.

Add AOL account to Thunderbird email client (or, actually, any modern email client that supports IMAP)

Add another (target) email acc to the same client using IMAP

Using mouse, move all emails from AOL acc to your target email acc.

dryoldlime · 15 Jan 2025, 05:45 AM

@RFK said:

Quote:

This is a modern standard. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Apple are doing the same.

But Google, Microsoft Yahoo, do not REQUIRE any app specific password. Just AOL requires it.

chrisretusn · 15 Jan 2025, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryoldlime

@RFK said:

But Google, Microsoft Yahoo, do not REQUIRE any app specific password. Just AOL requires it.

If you don't want to use OAUTH2, Google requires an app password, you have to enable 2FA to create one. Yahoo also requires an app password.

SideshowBob · 15 Jan 2025, 11:45 PM

I don't see the objection to app passwords.

dryoldlime · 16 Jan 2025, 02:15 AM

Looking at #8 and #9,
Creating app-password inside AOL account is long and difficult. Not a quick process. Simply signing in to an account with username and password is what most of us (people I know) have used for many many years.

I don't know much about "Oauth" or any other kind of 'auth'; I just know to use username and password to sign in. For trying Thunderbird through desktop and laptop computer, I learned how to put in Gmail and Yahoo accounts without any trouble. So far it's just AOL that needs an app-specific password. MOST OF THE TIME, I use email through a web browser on personal (Windows) computer.

Could be, more exercise on this should be in line to learn. Still, I prefer email through web browser and not through email client programs.

chrisretusn · 16 Jan 2025, 04:59 PM

I've good with app passwords, with Claws Mail it's a pain in the rear to setup to use OAUTH2. I am in the process of dumping my Outlook account because they decided to stop using app passwords, forcing OAUTH2. Sad in a way it's my first web mail account.

dryoldlime · 16 Jan 2025, 05:53 PM

I tried doing some search & read online. For my own not too distant experience of mobile email app, I setup a Gmail account and a Yahoo account onto Bluemail app. No app password were needed. I guess this is because Bluemail is designed to take Gmail addresses and Yahoo addresses easily. Those kinds of email accounts, Bluemail app is ready for. Maybe not so if I want to add an AOL address to it. But at this point I have no plans to try any AOL address onto any other email client (except for the one I put onto Thunderbird a couple of days ago for a laptop computer).

dryoldlime · 17 Jan 2025, 02:46 AM

Looking in the mobile Bluemail app again, when choosing to put in an email address, there is a screen with a group of buttons; and AOL is shown as one of the buttons, so although I have not yet tried it there, AOL email address should be easily put in and I am guessing without the need for an app-specific password. I do not really need to, so I do not know for sure.

RFK · 19 Jan 2025, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryoldlime

@RFK said:

But Google, Microsoft Yahoo, do not REQUIRE any app specific password. Just AOL requires it.

Microsoft, google and yahoo do require app password for pop, imap and smtp at least starting from 2022. You can't connect to pop, imap and smtp with main password only. You need oauth2 support. App Passwords can be used without oauth2.

dryoldlime · 19 Jan 2025, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFK

Microsoft, google and yahoo do require app password for pop, imap and smtp at least starting from 2022. You can't connect to pop, imap and smtp with main password only. You need oauth2 support. App Passwords can be used without oauth2.

I am confused. What did I actually do? About a year and a half ago, I did install Bluemail mobile email app, and I did put in both a Gmail address and a Yahoo address. Those account passwords were accepted without any kind of trouble. Maybe just a condition of "we will enforce the need for app specific password later"?

Maybe I should try it again, same device, same mobile app, but attempt putting in a different Yahoo email address. I would at least find out if now I do need app specif. password.
Worth a try, but I just do not feel like trying.

12 Jan 2025, 01:08 PM	#1
dryoldlime Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2023 Posts: 135	reasons to be less comfortable about AOL AOL for email is good. Even so, I am finding something I do not like about it. You want to use it with an email client program? Need to create an "app specific" password. Your own AOL email password is not good enough. You want to transfer or forward all of your messages to a different email account? No import/export. You must forward each message individually. I tried looking and asking help on this through AOL's chat system, and those said above seem to be how things is.

12 Jan 2025, 01:26 PM	#2
Bamb0 The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,045	I had an AIM account that all of a sudden for some reason was deleted years ago... My AIM account still worked but my email address was gone,I dunno why as I used it all the tme!!

12 Jan 2025, 04:38 PM	#3
chrisretusn Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philippines Posts: 897	I have an account with AOL, it's an old one. started out as Netscape, then AIM, now AOL. All three domains netscape.net, aim.com and of course aol.com still work. I currently use aim.com. Yes a while back I had to create an Application Password. Not that much of a hassle.

13 Jan 2025, 01:30 PM	#5
Bamb0 The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 2,045	Ya I was referring to Insteant Messenger . I had a AIM email acct and instant messenger acct and one day when I tried to login to my aim.com account it was gone....

15 Jan 2025, 11:45 PM	#9
SideshowBob Essential Contributor Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 326	I don't see the objection to app passwords.

16 Jan 2025, 02:15 AM	#10
dryoldlime Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2023 Posts: 135	Looking at #8 and #9, Creating app-password inside AOL account is long and difficult. Not a quick process. Simply signing in to an account with username and password is what most of us (people I know) have used for many many years. I don't know much about "Oauth" or any other kind of 'auth'; I just know to use username and password to sign in. For trying Thunderbird through desktop and laptop computer, I learned how to put in Gmail and Yahoo accounts without any trouble. So far it's just AOL that needs an app-specific password. MOST OF THE TIME, I use email through a web browser on personal (Windows) computer. Could be, more exercise on this should be in line to learn. Still, I prefer email through web browser and not through email client programs.

16 Jan 2025, 04:59 PM	#11
chrisretusn Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Philippines Posts: 897	I've good with app passwords, with Claws Mail it's a pain in the rear to setup to use OAUTH2. I am in the process of dumping my Outlook account because they decided to stop using app passwords, forcing OAUTH2. Sad in a way it's my first web mail account.

16 Jan 2025, 05:53 PM	#12
dryoldlime Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2023 Posts: 135	I tried doing some search & read online. For my own not too distant experience of mobile email app, I setup a Gmail account and a Yahoo account onto Bluemail app. No app password were needed. I guess this is because Bluemail is designed to take Gmail addresses and Yahoo addresses easily. Those kinds of email accounts, Bluemail app is ready for. Maybe not so if I want to add an AOL address to it. But at this point I have no plans to try any AOL address onto any other email client (except for the one I put onto Thunderbird a couple of days ago for a laptop computer).

17 Jan 2025, 02:46 AM	#13
dryoldlime Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2023 Posts: 135	Looking in the mobile Bluemail app again, when choosing to put in an email address, there is a screen with a group of buttons; and AOL is shown as one of the buttons, so although I have not yet tried it there, AOL email address should be easily put in and I am guessing without the need for an app-specific password. I do not really need to, so I do not know for sure.